Accident advice please

jules9

I have recently been involved in a damage only accident in local shop car park.
A car reversed out of a parking space into the side of me causing a rear door to have large dent. No damage to other vehicle.
My query is this: My vehicle is an old car... I have exchanged full details with other driver.
Should i report to insurance company and risk it being a right off or should i take it to local body repair shop and give person the chance to pay for damage?
I am obviously concerned as due to age of my car (20 years), it is likely to be right off and im not sure what amount of money i would get (any ideas anyone?)
What advice have people got?

Gene_Hunt_2

Read your policy carefully, whether you intend to claim or not you may be required to inform them. You will need to disclose this for the next five years too.

Quentin

jules9 wrote: »

Should i report to insurance company and risk it being a right off or should i take it to local body repair shop and give person the chance to pay for damage?

As already advised your policy conditions require you to report all such incidents to them. But reporting does not mean a claim. Make it clear you are reporting "for information only".

If you contact the third party directly, they are not obliged to pay for your repairs if it isn't economical, and will go down the write-off route.

But if that is the outcome, you will be able to keep the car for a small sum, get the write off value and repair the car yourself (maybe using a door from a scrapyard).

jules9

Thanks for that but i'm still confused.

The accident was definetly not my fault...if the other party don't wish to pay surely their insurance must pay for the total cost of the damage to my car even if its more than the car is worth?

pinkstarsx

jules9 wrote: »

Thanks for that but i'm still confused.

The accident was definetly not my fault...if the other party don't wish to pay surely their insurance must pay for the total cost of the damage to my car even if its more than the car is worth?

If the damage cost is more than the value of the car, then your car will be a write off and they will send you a cheque for the value they deem appropraite based on todays prices for that veichle. Obviously this depends on how long it takes to go through and providing it goes in your favour.

Quentin

jules9 wrote: »

Thanks for that but i'm still confused.

The accident was definetly not my fault...if the other party don't wish to pay surely their insurance must pay for the total cost of the damage to my car even if its more than the car is worth?

No.

That's not how it works!

If the repair cost is uneconomical, then you will be given the value of the car. That's all.

(And write offs usually come into it when the repair cost is around 60% of the value)